The Gibson Les Paul is a part of music history, to say the least. Ever since the 1950′s, the Les Paul has been famous for its identifiable shape and the strong, thick sound. Through the years, though, several details (from the neck specifications to the pickups) have varied.

Only a couple of years ago, Gibson presented a number of changes in the favorite Les Paul Standard series. Some of these alterations have been well-received, others not so much. So, what has changed, exactly?

Here’s a summation on the changes Gibson implemented. The new Les Paul Standard now includes Strap Locks (Dunlop), chambered body, Grover Locking Tuners, TonePros bridge/tailpiece, Neutrick output jack, and a setup via Plek. If you’re familiar with Les Pauls, you’ll straightaway notice the lighter weight, because of the chambered body.

We were somewhat afraid that the chambered body would have a negative effect on the tone, but, fortunately, it didn’t happen. The trademark Les Paul sustain was here in all its glory, as was the characteristic thick, meaty tone. We were glad, though, that the guitar was a bit lighter. If you’ve played with a Les Paul strung over your shoulder, you know what we mean.

We were pleased to see some of the hardware upgrades, especially the TonePros bridge and tailpiece. Similarly, the Plek’d setup resulted in a very playable and outstanding sounding guitar literally out of the box.

Granted, a minor truss rod adjustment was essential, but that’s usually the case when you receive a guitar via UPS. Out of the box, the instrument was pretty much gig-ready, a testimonial to both the Plek’d setup as well as the TonePros hardware.

The finish was really beautiful. Having opted for the flamed top in Heritage Cherry Sunburst, we tried to find some issues with the finish, but none could be found. We were also glad that they didn’t cover this gorgeous top with the pickguard, but it’s included if you want it installed.

We were intrigued when we discovered that Gibson built this series using an asymmetrical neck profile; however, we have to say that we’re happy they did. The profile sports a thicker bass side and a thinner treble side.

Think of it as the best of a 50′s and 60′s profile in one neck design. The fretwork and factory setup were the best we’d ever seen from an out-of-the-box Gibson.

It’s hard for us not to think of a Les Paul without thinking of the sound of a Les Paul cranked up through a Marshall, so we ran the Gibson through a reissue Marshall JCM800 half-stack. We liked what we heard, though you do need to know that the chambered body gives the guitar something of a ES-335 sound when cranked. Think old Clapton.

The Burstbucker pickups seemed to be a pretty nice fit, since they are aggressive and dark by nature. There are definitely some textbook Les Paul tones to be found here, though the chambered body/Burstbucker combination has its own unique flavor. To each his own. We liked them.

For all the things we liked, there were still various changes that we wish hadn’t been enacted by Gibson. That includes the locking Neutrik jack. Though Neutrik jacks are very high quality, we just didn’t like not being able to pull the cord out instantly.

Even worse are the control pots (volume and tone), which are all mounted on a PCB board. In fact, all the electronics (pickups, selector switch, and jack) are coupled to this board. In some ways it’s cool, but it could make the once-simple act of changing a pickup much more complicated. We’d pass on the PCB, if left to us.

Aside from these small concerns, we think the newest incarnation of the Gibson Les Paul Standard has a lot to offer and that it definitely has the spirit of a classic Les Paul. If the revisions are not to your liking, Gibson now offers the “Les Paul Traditional” that is more, well, traditional. There’s something for everyone in Gibson’s Les Paul lineup.

If you are shopping for the absolute lowest price on a new or used Gibson Les Paul Standard, then you need to visit Ray’s Guitar Shop, which offers the best prices on all used and new guitars. It doesn’t matter if you’re shopping for a Fender Telecaster, an Epiphone G-400, or a PRS McCarty, Ray’s Guitar Shop has what you’re searching for!